Luxury Suites and Studios by BOOTique
Polly Checkland Harding
Wakefield has its fair share of mainstream hotels in the city centre, but it’s worth venturing a little further afield for some more individual, boutique accommodation. Luxury Suites and Studios by BOOTique is only a 15-minute walk from Wakefield’s central attractions and restaurants, and includes six stylish, self-contained apartments to choose from. Here, there’s a modern shared kitchen, parquet flooring, leather seating and tasteful colour schemes – as well as tea and coffee making facilities, a flat-screen TV and private bathrooms with free toiletries in every suite. The studios are definitively modern, with distinctive touches such as distressed wooden panelling and subway tiles in the bathrooms. If you’re looking for something a little different from a chain hotel, this is the place.
The rooms at Luxury Suites and Studios by BOOTique range from a 200ft square deluxe double with its own seating area to a deluxe room under the eaves. There’s a shared lounge and TV area as well as the communal kitchen with its large dining table. Expect plush carpets, a dishwasher, and a welcoming hallway on arrival. Located out towards Wakefield’s Mental Health Museum, with its collection of mental health-related objects dating from the 19th century to the present day, the suites are also a handy, nine-minute walk from Wakefield Jazz – host to perhaps the best live jazz in Yorkshire on a Friday night.
Just a few minutes’ walk further into town are some of Wakefield’s must-see cultural attractions, such as Wakefield Cathedral, which has a historic fabric spanning 800 years, with the oldest surviving part dating back to 1150, the Gissing Centre, the childhood home of renowned Victorian author George Gissing, and Neon Workshops, where you can book a neon sculpture workshop or visit a temporary exhibition. Here, too, are some fantastic shops to build into your visit, including premium menswear brand Frank Bird, and Wakefield’s legendary magic shop, Merlins. Finally, those looking for the city’s best restaurants have a choice between the tapas and grill at Qubana, modern American BBQ at Smokehouse and entertaining teppanyaki at Hi Suhi Japanese restaurant.
